CCNY's Jeffrey Morris (left) and distinguished 1973 alumnus Israel Wachs have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Jeffrey F. Morris, director of the Benjamin Levich Institute for Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics in The City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The recognition is for his research on the fundamentals of concentrated suspension and hydrate slurry flows and for implementing applications in many industries.
The Academy has also welcomed Israel E. Wachs, the noted CCNY alumnus from the Grove School’s Class of 1973, as a member. The G. Whitney Snyder Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University, Wachs’ election is “for establishing fundamental structure–activity/selectivity rules governing molecular engineering of mixed oxide catalysts” that guide the rational design of solid catalysts (materials that accelerate and control chemical reactions) for air pollution remediation, sustainable energy, fuels, chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.
Morris and Wachs are among 130 new members from the U.S. and 28 international members in the Academy’s Class of 2026. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education. Members are also recognized for pioneering new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing and implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.
The Class of 2026 will be inducted during the Academy’s annual meeting October 4-6 in Washington, DC.
About Jeffrey F. Morris
A professor of chemical engineering, Morris is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of rheology, the science of the deformation and flow of matter. His research group in the Levich Institute has conducted significant research on rheologically-induced phenomena unique to mixtures, including bulk particle migration. In 2019, he received the American Physical Society’s Stanley Corrsin Award which recognizes an achievement of especially high impact and significance, a particular discovery, or an innovation in the field.
In 2022, Morris earned the Weissenberg Award from the European Society of Rheology (ESR), becoming the first non-European to win the top award.
A year later, he was the recipient of the Bingham Medal from the Society of Rheology (SOR). The Medal is the 93-year-old SOR’s highest award and is given annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of rheology.
About Israel E. Wachs
For almost four decades, Wachs has earned international recognition for his research spanning both the fundamental and applied dimensions of solid-based catalysis. A prolific inventor and researcher, Wachs earned his B.E. in chemical engineering from CCNY. He holds more than three dozen U.S. patents, plus an additional 70 international patents, some of which have been licensed for industrial use. His scholarly impact is equally substantial: Wachs has published more than 400 highly cited technical articles, with a career publication citation count exceeding 53,000 and an h-index of 132 (the number of publications cited 132 or more times).
Wachs' major national and international honors include the R.H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering, the George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon and Petroleum Chemistry, the Humboldt Research Award for Lifetime Achievements from Germany, and two Fulbright Senior Scholar Fellowships (in Argentina and Israel). He is a Fellow of both the National Academy of Inventors and the American Chemical Society. Read more.
About the NAE
NAE members are among the world’s most accomplished engineers from business, academia, and government. Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. The NAE advances the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent, objective advice to the U.S. government whenever called upon to do so, and by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and public appreciation of engineering. The NAE is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an independent, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress to provide objective analysis and advice to the nation on matters of science, technology, and health. Read more.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers, and society. At City College, more than 16,500 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity, and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together,” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College's mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic, and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
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jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu